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  • The New Technology That Promises to Blow up Illegal Fishing

    July 17, 2017 |

    News Deeply |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

    Illegal fishing is a grave concern that not only threatens to destroy the ocean's ecosystem but the livelihoods of billions of people around the world who depend on stable fish populations for food. Now, software developed in a partnership between Vulcan - a private Seattle-based tech firm - and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization allows law enforcement to quickly analyze suspicious patterns from the transponders of thousands of ships at a time, using special algorithms that automatically detect is a ship is a high-risk for criminal activity.

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  • The slow lane: Dutch app allows elderly to 'hack' traffic lights

    July 12, 2017 |

    The Guardian |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Netherlands, Tilburg, North Brabant

    In the Netherlands, city councils are piloting remarkable new technology to make roads safer and friendlier for cyclists and pedestrians through the use of apps that improve the efficiency and sensitivity of traffic lights to the elderly, disabled, and young children. Improved traffic flow is a key part of the way forward into a greener, safer urban future.

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  • Creating a Better Community Through Text Messages

    June 14, 2017 |

    Bloomberg CityLab |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    For urban residents, participation in city-planning often means navigating complex administrative bureaucracy and struggling through a lack of transparency, but in New York City, efforts are being made to engage citizens in the renewal (and preservation) of Brownsville, Brooklyn.  The city’s Housing Department has worked with the online platform coUrbanize to facilitate community-sourced ideas for the future via text. These residents’ responses are then inputted into a publicly-accessible map, which the city has pledged to incorporate into its planning -- a commendable effort at civic participation, local control, and transparency in government.

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  • The Future of CRM and Customer Service: Look to Boston

    June 01, 2017 |

    Government Technology |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

    To better serve the Boston community, the city launched a mobile app to address gaps in traditional 311 hotline calls. Now, "nearly 60 percent of service requests come via digital channels" and city officials are better able to "track the city’s performance against a benchmark service-level agreement."

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  • How San Bernardino is learning from Oakland, Stockton to decrease deadly violence

    March 13, 2017 |

    San Bernardino Sun |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, San Bernardino, California

    The city of San Bernardino adopted a strategy in 2017 from Stockton and Oakland that helped reduce homicides and violence in those communities. The Ceasefire model eschews blanket approaches like curfews and gang injunctions to focus on the places and people mostly likely to experience violence and then target them with outreach by leaders in the community, churches and criminal justice arenas. The idea is to build relationships and use data strategically to prevent crime.

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  • The Map That Lets You Listen to Radio Everywhere

    December 12, 2016 |

    The Atlantic |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Netherlands

    By mapping links onto satellite imagery, Radio Garden provides an easy way to listen to the online broadcasts of radio stations around the world. Through these broadcasts, a listener can expand their cultural awareness in a direct, entertaining way that reinforces common humanity while retaining distinct individuality.

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  • Silo-Busting Data Analytics Help Mass. Cities Tackle Vacant Properties

    October 14, 2016 |

    Next City |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Cambridge, Massachusetts

    To combat blight and vacancies, the Innovation Field Lab at Harvard is leading a project in which graduate students are creating solutions to these all too common problems for urban areas. Specifically, CityNexus is a tool that allows city information to be shared among government departments. This allows local leaders to easily centralize data, better understand problems, and more effectively track their progress.

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  • The Internet Mapmakers Helping Nepal

    May 02, 2016 |

    The Atlantic |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Nepal, Kathmandu

    Whenever there’s a natural catastrophe, a team of “crisis mappers” activate around the world. These volunteers use crowdsourcing tools to turn satellite data into digital maps, which are then used to make decisions on the ground, enabling rescuers to deliver food, shelter, and supplies to areas that need them most.

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  • In Pursuit of Big Data, Mexico City Mapathon Gamifies Crowdsourcing

    February 25, 2016 |

    Next City |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Mexico, Mexico City

    By “gamifying” the process, urban planners can crowdsource data collection. In Mexico City, members of 14 organizations—ranging from government agencies to nonprofits and consultants—launched a city-wide game, Mapatón CDMX, in an effort to collect data and map the complex transportation system. To participate, users downloaded an app and mapped transit routes for points.

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  • What Will it Take to Get Plastics out of the Ocean?

    February 01, 2016 |

    Ensia |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Manoa, Hawaii

    The amount of plastic debris in our oceans and water sources - especially nanoplastics that are increasingly prevalent in our food chain - is so enormous it's often beyond comprehension, and immensely difficult to address. As countries continue to industrialize and single-use products become more commonplace, the flow of harmful plastics into the environment seems insurmountable. But a number of clever inventions and dedicated individuals are working to help get plastics out of our water - and more importantly - encourage practices to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

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